Headless CMS.

What is a headless CMS?

A headless CMS is a content management system that stores and manages content but has no built-in front end for displaying it. Content is delivered through an API to whatever presents it: a website, a mobile app, a kiosk or an AI assistant. The "head", meaning the website design, is built separately, often with modern JavaScript frameworks, and pulls content from the CMS as needed.

Why it matters

Headless suits businesses that publish the same content in several places or need a fast, highly customised front end. One update to a product description can flow to the website, an app and a partner portal at once. The trade-off is cost and dependence: features a traditional CMS gives you out of the box, such as page previews, forms and layout control for editors, have to be built or configured, which means more developer time over the life of the site.

How it works

• Content modelling You define structured content types, such as service, location and FAQ, each with specific fields.
• Content editing Your team enters content in the CMS interface, separate from the site's design.
• API delivery The front end requests content through an API and renders it in its own templates.
• Build and publish Changes go live either instantly or by triggering a rebuild of the site.

What to do about it

Ask whoever is proposing a headless build to explain which problem it solves for your business specifically. Request a demo of the editing experience, including how your team previews a page before publishing and adds a new landing page without a developer. Get a clear estimate of ongoing development costs. If you only publish to one website, ask what a well-structured traditional CMS would cost by comparison.